"The flight and operators followed the rules…but on the ground the rules of war were broken": Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong, centre. Photo: Reuters

“Yes MH17 has become a geopolitical issue. But we must not forget that it is a human tragedy,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur before flying to Kiev to try to negotiate a safe corridor for Malaysian, Australian and other recovery teams.

“Citizens of 11 nations – none of whom are involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine – cannot be laid to rest,” Mr Liow said.

Donetsk region: Pro-Russian separatists greet monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe amid reports they are hampering the MH17 investigation. Photo: Reuters

“Their lives were taken by violence; now violence stops them being accorded their final respect,” he said.

There have been reports of looting at the site and gunmen have stopped international observers from properly examining the area where makeshift white flags are marking the positions of some of the bodies.

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Other bodies stripped bare by the force of the crash have been covered by polythene sheeting weighed down by stones.

Reuters quoted observers as saying that some rebels at the site were impolite, acting in an unprofessional manner and even looking slightly intoxicated.

As a shocked Malaysia mourned the loss of its second Boeing in five months, Mr Liow bluntly fended off questions about Malaysia Airlines flying MH17 over a war zone, saying: “As far as we are concerned we abided by all the international rules.

“MH17’s flight path was a busy major airway, like a highway in the sky,” he said.